Philippines
An archipelago of seven thousand islands in the Pacific
The Philippines is a sprawling archipelago of more than seven thousand islands on the western rim of the Pacific, a Catholic-majority nation shaped by three centuries of Spanish rule and half a century of American influence. From the rice terraces of the Cordillera to the white beaches of the Visayas, it is a country of volcanoes, typhoons, and dense, youthful cities. Manila Bay has anchored maritime trade for centuries, and a vast diaspora ties the islands to the wider world.
The islands sit along the Pacific Ring of Fire, giving them active volcanoes such as Mayon and Taal and frequent earthquakes, Mount Apo on Mindanao is the highest point. The country is divided into the three island groups of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Typhoons regularly sweep the eastern seaboard. Electronics, business-process outsourcing, agriculture, and remittances from overseas Filipino workers sustain a fast-growing economy.
Spanish colonization from the sixteenth century brought Catholicism and the name of King Philip II, the United States took control after 1898, and independence followed in 1946. English remains widely spoken alongside Filipino. Democratic life has been turbulent, from the Marcos dictatorship and the People Power revolution to recent populist politics. The capital, Manila, and surrounding Metro Manila form one of the world's densest urban regions.